Chapter Thirteen
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I went back to my parents' home.
The amount of gifts she brought was a matter of face-saving from her husband's family, so Zhou Lin naturally wanted to bring back more things to give Mu Jin face.
Zhou Wu didn't care about all that; if the things were given to the Mu family, her family would have to eat one less bite.
"Just bring a few coarse flour buns and some sugar candy. We're not rich families, so we don't need to be so particular. Just a token amount will do."
Zhou Wu soaked the coarse flour cakes in the leftover meat broth from yesterday and said to Mu Qing and Mu Jin in a low voice.
Mu Jin and Mu Laoqi weren't very close, and Mu Jin didn't get to eat a decent meal like them. He had other plans in mind.
Mu Qing glanced at him. He had originally planned to let Mu Jin take the lead while he followed behind and reaped the benefits, but the man remained silent.
She gently tugged at Mulan's sleeve and whispered, "This is your first time going back to your parents' home for the New Year. If you don't bring enough, what will your father and uncles think of you? How will you have the nerve to come in with such small gifts from your uncles?"
Mu Jin smiled and said, "My family is having a hard time, but my dad understands."
Mu Qing let go, furious. If he took these things back to his parents' home, his sister-in-law would surely scold him to death.
He kicked Zhou Ming under the table, glared at him, and glanced at Zhou Wu Shi.
Zhou Ming knew that even if he spoke up, his mother would never agree, and he would only get a scolding for nothing.
He kept his eyes down, his mind focused, shifted his legs slightly, and remained unmoved.
“Mother, this is the first time A-Jin has visited relatives at her parents’ home for the New Year. How can she not bring back some meat? This… how can this be justified?”
Of course, there were also those who went straight for Zhou Wushi's stick.
Zhou Wu slammed her chopsticks down on the table and glared at Zhou Lin with displeasure.
"You think you're so generous when you're poor? Don't you know what your family's situation is?! You even brought meat? Take your mother with you and let your in-laws stew it for them!"
Mu Jin tugged at Zhou Lin, "Lin, we're struggling financially at home. My dad is understanding, but my stepfather is a bit of a blabbermouth. He'll say a few things, but we'll just listen to him."
After finishing the last mouthful of brown rice porridge, Zhou Laosan put down the bowl and frowned upon hearing this.
His family supports a scholar, so they are a bit tighter than other families. But these past few years have been blessed with good weather, and they can still afford to give two pounds of meat when visiting relatives.
If the villagers found out that her son and husband only brought a few coarse flour buns when they went back to her parents' home for the New Year, they would inevitably be ridiculed behind her back.
He coughed lightly. "There are still a few pounds of meat left in the kitchen. Cut one pound for each of Jin-ge and Qing-ge. It would be a bit stingy if it didn't include any meat."
Zhou Wu slammed the bowl down, "You all look so respectable, while I'm the most wretched. I can't manage this family anymore!"
Zhou Laosan frowned, "It's just two pounds of meat, but you're making it sound like your heart has been ripped out. Our youngest son is a scholar, so we have to think about him in everything we do."
Zhou Qiang was Zhou Wu's Achilles' heel, and the meat she gave away made her feel even more pain.
In the end, they still felt more sorry for Zhou Qiang and cut a piece of meat for each of them.
Zhou Si helped Mu Jin pack the New Year's gifts and whispered, "Sigh, I really don't want to go to my uncle's house with my mother."
"What's wrong?"
"This year it's my aunt's turn to eat. You don't know her, nobody's stingier than her. I reckon there won't even be a bit of meat."
Mu Jin chuckled, poked his nose, and teased, "Why don't you come home with me?"
"I'd like to."
As the two were talking, a woman's voice rang out from the doorway.
"Is the third son's wife home?"
"Coming, coming, Sister-in-law Wang, what brings you here?"
Zhou Wu hurried to the door. The man outside was from Wangjia Village, the same village as Zhou Wu.
The woman peeked inside and smiled, “Your sister-in-law and her husband came to my house today. It’s because your eldest son recently got married. Normally, he should visit his uncle’s house this year, but your sister-in-law said that since they are all relatives, they can come at the same time. So she asked me to tell you that on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, she will bring you and your husbands back to your parents’ home.”
"I see. Okay, I understand. Thank you for making the trip, Sister-in-law Wang."
The woman waved her hand, "We're all from the same village, why be so polite?"
Zhou Si and Mu Jin heard everything from inside the room.
"Haha, that's great, brothers, you guys come with me."
Zhou Si was happy; with Mu Jin by her side, she wasn't so bored anymore.
Mu Jin arranged the eight large, coarse-dough steamed buns, divided the sugar into five portions, and placed the meat on top of the bamboo basket.
"Alright, I know you're happy now. Call your older brother in for me. It's time to go."
Knowing that Mu Jin was coming back, Mu Bai got up early in the morning and tidied up his messy room so that his older brother wouldn't nag him when he got back.
Zhou Ling glanced at the door and said, "No matter how much I scold you, you never listen. But now that Jin-ge'er is coming back, you've suddenly become very diligent."
Mu Bai made the bed. "Why hasn't my older brother come back yet?"
Zhou Ling poked his forehead, "It's such a waste to have a son like you."
Despite her complaints, Zhou Ling still cared for Mu Bai in her heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have grown up to be such an innocent and naive boy.
This time, when visiting relatives, all of Mu Jin's family members have to go. Mu Laoqi has many brothers, and besides him, Mu Jin also has four uncles.
Today, my aunt who had been away from home returned, and along with many younger relatives, the house was very lively.
Kimura stroked his beard, thinking of the several generations living together, a truly fortunate thing in life.
Zhou Lin was so nervous that his hands and feet were almost wobbly. With so many people around, he was afraid that he might say something wrong and offend someone.
The Mu family is a large clan, and although there are bound to be some unsavory dealings within, they maintain a harmonious facade.
"I didn't get a good look at our son-in-law when he got married, but he's quite handsome."
"I knew it, she and our Jin-ge'er look so good together."
"Brother-in-law, do you want some walnuts?"
………
Zhou Lin felt like a monkey in the mountains being watched, completely at a loss, only able to smile, nod, and call out to others.
I only realized my palms were sweaty when a few walnuts were stuffed into my hand.
Fortunately, the pleasantries didn't last long before it was lunchtime. After leaving the main gate of the Mu family's residence, Zhou Lin breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Mu Jin laughed and said, "Why are you so nervous? They're not going to eat you."
Zhou Lin just smiled; he was only afraid of embarrassing Mu Jin.
Zhou Ling stir-fried the meat that Mu Jin had brought with dried mushrooms that had been sun-dried in the autumn. The mushrooms tasted even better than the meat.
The Mu family's meals were usually better than other families', and for the New Year they bought a lot of meat, including stir-fried chicken and stewed fish, making it even more lavish than the Zhou family's New Year's Eve dinner.
Zhou Lin drank a few cups with Mu Laoqi and ate until he was full.
"Uncle, when are we going to visit my older brother's family?"
Mu Bai sat close to Mu Jin, chewing on a chicken neck, and mumbled incoherently.
Mu Jin chuckled upon hearing this, and Zhou Ling couldn't stay angry anymore. "You silly boy."
He then picked up a piece of chicken leg and gave it to Mu Jin, saying with a smile, "Is your brother-in-law going to participate this year?"
Mu Jin glanced at the chicken in the bowl; this was the first time she had ever eaten meat that her stepfather had put on her plate.
He smiled and said, "My mother-in-law said it happened this spring."
"That's a good coincidence. Your younger brother is going this year too. The two of you can keep each other company, and your father and I will feel at ease."
Mu Zhou was only twelve years old after the New Year, three years younger than Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang was familiar with the town, so following him would save him some trouble.
Zhou Ling and Mu Laoqi originally wanted to send him to school in town, but he was too young and they couldn't bear to part with him. Although the money in the family was still manageable in the village, it wouldn't be enough in town.
There was an old scholar in the village, so the couple let Muzhou learn from him first. When he was older and could take care of himself, they would let him go to school in town.
Mu Jin thought about it and realized that none of Zhou Qiang's classmates in town were good. They all said that one is influenced by one's company, so it was best for Mu Zhou to stay away from them.
With Zhou Lin present, he couldn't say anything bad about Zhou Qiang, so he just nodded.
When they returned to the kitchen to help Zhou Ling wash the dishes, he gave her a few reminders.
“I know that. Your father and I will go with you, but we’ll go with your brother-in-law so that the books and such that their teacher gives you can also be shown to your brother.”
Mu Jin nodded. His stepfather was more cunning than a hornet's nest; he had worried for nothing.
After lunch, Mu Bai clung to Mu Jin, reluctant to let him leave, so he stayed a little longer.
Zhou Lin and Mu Laoqi stared at each other for a while, speechless and extremely awkward.
"Father-in-law, there's been a lot of snow this year, so the harvest next year should be better than last year."
"Um."
“…”
Zhou Lin's carefully crafted words were abruptly cut off by Mu Laoqi with a single word.
Mu Laoqi sat for a while, then got up and said, "I'm going for a walk outside."
Zhou Lin nodded hurriedly, and only breathed a sigh of relief after Mu Laoqi left the courtyard. He then secretly blamed himself for being too useless with his mouth.
In other families, there are many brothers-in-law who can talk to each other, but in the Mu family, Zhou Lin is the only son-in-law. Mu Bai is still young, and Zhou Lin still has a few years to endure.
As the sun was about to set, Mu Bai, though reluctant, had to go home.
Knowing that Mu Jin liked to eat mushrooms, Mu Bai went to the kitchen, took out some dried mushrooms, and put them in his basket.
"Brother, you took me to pick these in the mountains last autumn. Take them back and have a taste."
Zhou Ling was inside and didn't see it; otherwise, she would have scolded Mu Bai for siding with outsiders.
People returning home from visiting relatives along the village road were making their way home before sunset, and the bustling sounds of people brought the once quiet village to life.
When Zhou Wu saw the dried mushrooms in Mu Jin's basket, she had Mu Qing soak and stir-fry them for dinner.
The moon was bright and the stars were few. Mu Jin and Zhou Lin soaked their feet, splashed the water outside, and lay down in the cool quilt.
"The weather will be nice tomorrow, we should take the bedding out to air it," Mu Jin said softly.
Zhou Lin turned over, and the wooden bed creaked and groaned as if it were about to fall apart.
Holding the hibiscus, he said, "Okay."
Mu Jin leaned against his burning chest and poked Zhou Lin's pectoral muscles with her finger.
"It looks hard, but it's soft when you poke it."
Zhou Lin's eyes darkened for a moment, then he flipped over and pinned Mu Jin down, just about to make a move.
A loud "bang" was heard.
The bed collapsed.
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